Any guesses as to roo or hen? She just finished a bath and has some preening to do so she can be her true fluffy self.I think her round puff makes her appear to be a hen, but I'm a true beginner. [/IMG][/IMG][/IMG][/IMG]

Mr TH...
On your Sesame...sometimes certain birds just have problems and it doesn't matter our husbandry, they just aren't going to thrive. That's the way it is in the wild.

Folks that look at their chickens as farm animals (rather than pets) know the reality of having to "cull" weaker or sickly birds that can't thrive in their environment so that when they breed for the future, they are passing down strong genetics from their animals that do thrive in their environment.

It can be hard to look at it that way, but sometimes its just true that some are healthier than others for no fault of our own.

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I had to learn the hard way. While I did not spend the money on a vet, the time and effort I put into trying to get a limping hen well was very much wasted. I should have processed her after a day or at most 2 of the limp not improving. Then at least I would have gotten a small amount of soup. The limp never got better, I think she got bugs from not roosting and finally the heat did her in. It was very painful to watch and I'm sure she was in a lot of pain too. I won't do it again. But for me the chickens while I let the children call them pets they are more farm type animals that need to produce something. I did plant special grass for them in a bare area last fall. I will do the same to any bare areas this Nov.

Will silkies be OK if put in a chicken yard with LF birds? I have Wyandotte, Cochin, Orpington, Jersey Black Giant, Guinea, Indian Runner Ducks.

A few of your gorgeous white silkies would sure look good mixed in with them. I'm just concerned that they might get beat up.

I have a 9 year old granddaughter who would probably steal one and try to get away with keeping it in her room.

John

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I would be more concerned about predators than the LF chickens once the silkies were in the pecking order. The hawks around me can catch slow or smaller chickens.

A semi driver while driving quite fast hit a snoozing thing with a long pick tail right in front of our property last night. In the past I was not thrilled with these overly fast drivers, now I'm kind of glad there is one less thing after my chickens. DH had the nerve to ask me how I knew it was after the chickens. What else would it be wanting, not the neighbor's large dogs.

I'm wanting to start on our second coop this weekend. I thought we had the concrete bloocks it could sit on but I guess DH got rid of them. Anyone here have extra concrete blocks they don't want or have a suggestion for how to raise the coop up off the ground. During the muddy season I don't want the coop floor lower than the mud.

Frou-Frou's laying again! She took a several-month break, then started faking it like M2H's Jersey, but I just found an egg in her usual spot, on the floor in the corner of the coop! It's the same size as she usually lays, about the size of my Sebright hens' eggs. Because we wouldn't want her to exert herself, would we?

So may e what they say is true! It is good luck to have a bird poop on your head! I was tending to the birds in the coop and my OEGB was perched in the rafters. Sure enough it lands right on my head! I come inside, take a shower, feed the dogs and check on the eggs in the hatcher. 2 legbar eggs have pipped! Today is day 19. Hope the remaining start pipping too! I have the legbars and some eggs from an assortment which include rhodebar, Swedish flowers, orloffs, and a silver lakenvelder. Now that they are pipping, send me some "pullet vibes" my way on the legbars! Lol